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This homemade General Tso's Chicken recipe is better than takeout, with crispy pan-fried chicken tossed in a sweet, savory general tso's sauce made with simple ingredients you already have on hand.
Better-Than-Delivery General Tso’s Chicken (Yes, Really!)
General Tso's Chicken is hands down one of my family's most-requested dinners, and once you try making it at home, you'll never want to order takeout again. This recipe isn't authentic (here is a more authentic recipe) but I love that the ingredients are simple ones I always have on hand and give you the same amazing flavor.
Tip for an even faster dinner: Make the General Tso's sauce ahead of time. You can also coat the chicken in egg and cornstarch a few hours ahead (store in fridge) so everything is ready to cook.
Try more of my Chinese-inspired favorites, like Kung Pao Chicken, Lettuce Wraps, Black Pepper Chicken, Mongolian Beef, and Chow Mein!
How to make General Tso Chicken:
Make Sauce: In a small mixing bowl, whisk all the sauce ingredients then set aside. If you like a more mild flavor, reduce the amount of red pepper flakes or omit them.
Coat Chicken: Combine cornstarch, flour, salt, and pepper in a large ziplock bag. Close it and shake to combine. In a large bowl, whisk egg whites. Dip chicken in the egg whites then let them drip off and drop it into the ziplock bag. Shake until all the chicken is coated.
Fry: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat then pour in half a cup of oil. Once the oil is hot, fry the chicken in batches (don't crowd it!). Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until it is golden brown and cooked through. Remove to a plate.
Combine: Pour sauce into the same pan and simmer until it's heated and thickened. Toss the chicken in the sauce just before serving. Serve with white or brown rice or Kimchi Fried Rice and garnish with green onions and/or sesame seeds. Enjoy immediately!
General Tso’s Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, , cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 large egg whites
- 1/2 cup oil, (vegetable or canola oil)
- hot cooked white rice, , for serving
General Tso's Sauce:
- 2/3 cup hoisin sauce
- 1/3 cup rice vinegar
- 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar, , packed
- 3 cloves garlic, , minced
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger, , or 1 Tablespoon fresh minced ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or more, to taste
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
Instructions
- Make General Tso's Sauce: Add the sauce ingredients to a bowl and whisk well to combine. Set aside.2/3 cup hoisin sauce, ⅓ cup rice vinegar, ⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce, ¼ cup light brown sugar, 3 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
- Make breading: Add cornstarch, flour, and salt and pepper to a large ziplock bag and shake to combine. Whisk egg whites in a separate bowl.½ cup cornstarch, ½ cup all-purpose flour, salt and freshly ground black pepper, 2 large egg whites
- Coat chicken: Add chicken pieces to the egg whites and toss to coat. Spoon coated chicken pieces into the ziplock bag, allowing excess egg to drip back into the bowl. Shake the bag to coat chicken evenly in the cornstarch mixture.1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Cook chicken: Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil. Once oil is hot, add some of the chicken (it's best to cook the chicken in 2 or 3 batches, so it browns better). Cook the chicken 2-3 minutes on each side, until the coating is golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Remove to a plate. Repeat until all of the chicken has cooked, and set aside on a plate.½ cup oil
- Add sauce: Add the sauce to the pan and simmer until warm and thickened. Toss the chicken in the sauce just before serving.
- Serve with hot cooked white or brown rice. Garnish with chopped green onions.hot cooked white rice
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I originally shared this recipe February 2016. Updated August 2020, October 2023 and May 2026.
This General Tso’s Chicken is so delicious! Glad I got to get all my needed ingredients at Karman Foods. Fast and reliable! The taste was absolutely perfect! This is my new fave dish.
This was a HUGE hit with my family! I cooked a little more chicken and used sesame oil instead of canola. Great recipe!
Fabulous recipe I made for the first time tonight. It was magical. I had steamed green beans, white rice and a bit of homemade kimchi along side and it was the perfect meal!
I love this recipe! I’ve made it several times. The sauce is really delicious, with such a nice tang. Recently I tried the air fryer, and it worked great (apart from the chicken getting stuck to the tray, which I assumed would happen). Still it turned out great!
I made this tonight and it turned out amazing! A new family favorite for sure. Thanks!
I have made this a few times. I make veggies (Chinese) and a fried rice. My husband and I love it. I have made quite a few things from this site. I like the site very much.
This was a huge hit with my family! They have been requesting General Tso. The first recipe I tried was ok-ish but this one hit it out of the park. The sauce was great the chicken was crispy and flavorful. I was told to add it to “the list”!
I thought this was a very good version of General Tso’s Chicken. Thinking the next time I cook it I will drain out most of the oil after cooking the chicken. I didn’t think to do that and I felt it was a bit too much. Is it even necessary to have the oil upon adding the sauce to the pan, or does it keep the sauce from sticking?
I agree . There was to much oil left over after cooking the chicken. I discarded almost all of before adding the sauce to the pan. Next time I’ll omit or use less pepper flakes. Fresh ginger used instead of ground ginger. Boneless chicken thighs instead of breast . Served with Jasmine rice and broccoli Overall a easy tasty weekday meal.
This was really good and fairly easy to make. I deep fried the chicken in about an inch of oil in my Dutch oven which made things go a little faster, I think. I also used less chili flakes, my husband and I don’t like too much heat. This is a keeper in our house
What a waste of perfectly good chicken! The sauce was not good! Even my husband who eats anything didn’t eat it. Most of it went in the compost bin.